Rep. Brian Evans

Maddy summaryHR 1049 is a procedural House Resolution authorizing the Arkansas House of Representatives or Senate (or both) to take recesses of four or more consecutive days during the regular legislative session. It grants the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore the authority to declare such recesses without further legislative action. This bill does not change substantive laws or affect constituents; it simply provides a formal mechanism for legislative leadership to schedule extended breaks. As a procedural measure, it impacts only the internal scheduling of the General Assembly.

Maddy summaryHB 1353 regulates vision benefit managers and amends Arkansas' Vision Care Plan Act and Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act. It prohibits insurance contracts from automatically reducing vision benefits solely due to other coverage (e.g., multiple vision plans), requiring such reductions to follow Insurance Commissioner-approved rules instead. The bill defines key terms like "covered materials" (e.g., lenses, frames) and "vision benefit manager," while banning agreements that force providers to charge more for non-covered services than their standard rates. This directly affects Arkansans with vision insurance plans and eye care providers, ensuring fairer billing practices for covered vision care services and materials. The bill passed in February 2025 and became Act 142.

Maddy summarySB 142, now Act 122, bans students from possessing or using personal electronic devices (like phones) during the entire school day, directly affecting public school students. The law requires schools to update discipline policies to include specific exemptions: devices issued by the school for educational use, special events (defined by future rules), and devices needed for students with special education plans or concurrent enrollment college courses. It replaces prior rules with these clear exemptions while maintaining the overall "bell to bell" device ban. The bill passed in February 2025 and became law without additional committee action.

Maddy summarySB 59 requires all public schools to provide one free breakfast daily to every student upon request, without checking if they qualify for federally funded free or reduced-price meals. This policy directly affects all public school students in the state, eliminating eligibility barriers for breakfast access. The bill includes an emergency clause, allowing it to take effect immediately upon enactment. It changes school meal procedures by mandating universal breakfast availability as a standard practice, not tied to existing federal program eligibility. The bill became law as Act 123 on February 24, 2025.

Maddy summaryHR 1034 is a procedural resolution amending the rules of the Arkansas House of Representatives for the 95th General Assembly. It reorganizes standing committees (e.g., splitting "Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs" into separate subcommittees), clarifies joint committee structures (like the Joint Budget Committee), and limits members to one select committee. The changes affect only internal House operations and committee assignments, not public policy or citizen-facing laws. As a rules amendment, it does not create new laws or impact constituents directly.

Maddy summaryHB 1204 (now Act 28) amends Arkansas law to clarify that plaintiffs in medical negligence cases can only recover the actual costs they paid for necessary medical care, treatment, or services - or costs legally owed by them or a third party. It directly affects individuals filing medical malpractice claims and healthcare providers by limiting recoverable damages to amounts actually paid or legally responsible. The key provision changes the standard for medical cost recovery from billed rates to verified payments, preventing recovery of unpaid or inflated charges. This law, enacted on February 11, 2025, provides a clearer financial framework for medical negligence claims in Arkansas.

Maddy summaryHB 1056 creates a new joint committee in the Arkansas legislature, composed of members from both the House and Senate, to specifically address military and veterans affairs. The bill declares an emergency, allowing the committee to be established and operate under expedited procedures without standard legislative delays. This committee will oversee state policies, review veterans' programs, and make recommendations on legislation related to military personnel and veterans' benefits. The bill became law (Act 34) on February 11, 2025, after passing through the legislature with an amendment to its referral process.

Maddy summaryHB 1351 aimed to regulate vision benefit managers and amend Arkansas' Vision Care Plan Act and Healthcare Contracting Simplification Act. It would have prohibited insurers from reducing vision benefits solely due to other insurance coverage, defined key terms like "covered materials" and "vision benefit manager," and set rules for provider agreements. The bill specifically targeted how vision care providers (like optometrists) and insurers handle payments for services and materials such as glasses, contacts, and eye exams. However, the bill was withdrawn by its authors on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summarySCR 1 is a procedural resolution that adopts the official rules governing the operations of Arkansas' 95th General Assembly. It establishes standard procedures for joint sessions, bill presentation between chambers, engrossment (final formatting), enrollment (official recording), and signing of bills. The resolution also sets specific deadlines for introducing appropriation bills and retirement system legislation. As a procedural measure, it directly affects how the House and Senate conduct their business but does not create new policies or impact external stakeholders. The resolution was enacted on February 4, 2025, after approval by the Governor.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a policy bill) recognizing Lorie Tudor for her 41-year career with the Arkansas Department of Transportation. It formally acknowledges her service to the state but contains no policy changes or funding provisions. The resolution has no direct impact on citizens, laws, or government operations - it serves only as a symbolic gesture of appreciation. No voting record is relevant, as it does not advance legislation.